How often do you run red lights?
 

I was kind of wondering how many people are as lax as I am of the rules of the road. I run this one light everyday. I always time it so that when I do... the left turn lane on the opposite side of the intersection is turning green... then I "make my move!"

I'm probably in the minority, but I'm sure I'm not the only one!

I'm not sure what you mean by timing your move, but I personally almost never stop for stop signs in residential areas, unless there's some traffic and right-of-way becomes an issue or if I'm going parallel with a car but I want to make a left, I'll fall behind the car slightly, slowing down, then as soon as they've passed me up, I make my move, to the left.

Depends on the situation. At big intersections, I'll wait at the light. At little intersections, I stop, but will then go through if there is no traffic (treating the light like a stop sign). On my route, I also encounter 3-way intersections with a bike lane on the right and an intersecting road coming from the left. For these, I just right straight through since the turning cars do not cross the bike lane at all.

I don't have any lights on my commute since the only one was replaced with a roundabout.

Otherwise, I use my better judgment. I don't make a goal to run the light, but if I approach it, and there's no traffic, I usually go. If there's traffic, I wait it out.

It's legal in CA to "run" a red light after stopping if the light isn't triggered by your bike. Speaking of, it's possible to trigger lights on a bike of you're careful to roll up and stop directly on the edge of the induction loops:

http://www.ecovelo.info/2010/06/17/trigger-happy/

Never as described.
The roads I ride the most are 4-6 lane intersections both ways and the time it would take me from a start to get across in the same scenario (beating the left turners) I'd be road pizza. I have on rare occassion run them orange at the last minute since I was moving and had momentum on my side. I also have 4 jusiditions of police in the area (GSP (barrack just past my office), KSU (campus police based in my building) City of Kennesaw and county (just past the GSP barrack) AND a Police training facility up the road on my commute.

Here is a situation I find myself in A LOT. I approach a red light. The intersection is clear in every direction. In my mirror, I see a large number of fast moving cars. 1/2 to 1/4 of a mile back.

If I wait for the light to turn green, I will be going very slowly through the intersection while cars are passing me at very closely at 50 mph (because the light turned green before they got there and they speeded up). Many of those cars will be turning right, left, talking on cell phones, etc. And there will also be cars coming from my right making the legal "right turn on red" without stopping because they see a break in traffic. If the cars behind haven't reached me, there may be cars trying to turn left in front of me while they still can. Moreover, most every car that approaches this intersection will have their attention focused on the light, and not on the road.

Now, if I choose to break the law and proceed through the intersection against the red light, traffic is not a factor because there are no cars. By the time the cars behind reach me, I am through the intersection and safely traveling at speed in the bike lane. Nobody is turning around me, and once again, drivers are paying attention to the road and not whether the light is going to turn yellow or green before they get there.

Bottom line is that there are frequently many situations where it's more safe for me to break the law and go than to follow the law and stop.

With 4 way stop signs, it's a similar situation. First of all, I never blow through a stop sign where cross traffic doesn't stop. But with a 4 way stop, the speed I ride through is probably almost as slow as most drivers who claim that they "stopped." I tested it once. I rode alongside a few cars "stopping" at stop signs, and most did not slow down to any less than 10-15 mph.

From a safety standpoint, there are a few things to remember. First of all, most areas with 4 way stops are residential that allow on-street parking. Unless those streets are very recently designed, most of that on-street parking is actually the bike lane. In order to avoid the door zone of parked cars, I will ride in the traffic lane. So if there is a car behind me, and I do a complete, foot touches the ground, stop, there is a good chance that the driver's level of impatience is going to rise. And there is a strong likelihood that as I'm slowly pedaling through the intersection after stopping, that driver will gun his engine and swing around me. Of course, if that driver is more focused on his cell phone than driving, he may not see me stopped in front of him at all and run into me.

Now, in the same situation, if I ride through the stop sign, assuming the intersection is clear, (much easier on a bike due to lower speed and better visibility) the driver behind me can do whatever he wants to - he can be drunk off his butt for all that matters - he's not going to hit (at least while crossing the intersection).

I don't run red lights.

I run stop signs, to the same extent that cars run them. I slow down, ensure everything is clear and then proceed. If it's not clear, I stop.

As the OP means it, I never run a red light (or stop signs). In the same manner as when I drive, I endeavor to obey the rules of the road, whether I agree with them or not.

However, I did go through two red lights today, because they were flashing, in this case they are deactivated at night/early morning. In that case I obeyed the rules of the road and treated it as a stop sign.

I do the Idaho stop....look it up for more information ;). I personally don't see the point in stopping and waiting through an entire light cycle if there's no cars anywhere around, but I always stop and look.

For stop signs, I'll approach slowly and pass through without stopping if no one's around. If there are cars present I always stop.

Just common sense stuff.

I actually have a new credo - do what you have to do, but if any car has to swerve or slam on their brakes to keep from hitting you, you're a tool.

A few things I don't do ...

I never run a sign that has cross traffic that doesn't stop.

I never run a sign and then get in take the lane in front of a car that had to stop.

I never go against a red light where cross traffic is exiting from a freeway.

I never go against a red light when there are more than two lanes in any direction.

I never go against a red light when I have not been through the intersection before. In other words, if I'm in unfamiliar territory, I wait until it's green.

Never, running red lights is asking to lighten your bike by removing weight from your wallet.

Yup, makes sense. Putting yourself in a position where a driver has to take action to avoid you means that you're hoping they're paying enough attention in the first place.

I often go as far as giving myself as much room as if I were a pedestrian just in case I do something stupid like slip off a pedal.

This is where thinking like a driver helps, too. Knowing how far away a driver has to become aware of you, assess their surroundings, and make a decision makes it easier to avoid forcing them into making hasty -- and likely unsafe -- decisions.

All the time man, i have a shovel in the trunk to clear the people off the hood!

Infrequently, but occasionally.

Stop signs are another story...but I never just blast through like I see some idiots do.

Very rarely do I run red lights. I see to many cyclist who don't seem to know what they are doing (riding on the sidewalk, or against traffic, or running traffic lights, etc.), and I don't want to be associated with them.

However, Their is one part of my commute where my bike may not trigger the sensor for the light. I have actually waited for almost 5 minutes at a light and eventually just rode through (went through 2 cycles of a left turn signal). I do stop at the same light and it seems to be hit or miss If I will trigger it.

Never.

I do run stop signs when theres clearly no one around. Dont worry, i look both ways.

Cyclists running red lights give people an excuse to have a go at all cyclists. We all get tarred with the same brush and public opinion matters if we want pressure to get cycle paths/lanes built etc. That said there is a set of lights on my way home at 1am that seem to be movement sensitive and never see me so I have no choice unless I want stay there overnight. I really should complain to the council about them as that junction has cycle lanes so its rather silly.

I never do.

I stop for red lights, and I stop for stop signs.

If I have to choose between my immediate safety and people long term impression of cyclists, I'll choose my immediate safety.

The bottom line is that intersections are dangerous places for bikes, stopped or rolling. Often, the sooner you can be through one and on your way the better.

Intersections are dangerous, for cars and pedestrians too... somehow they don't use that to justify running lights though...

+1

Best to obey all traffic rules. But if my bike did not activate the signals I would go through when it was safe.

Law abiding folks will respect you and look out for you on the road if they think you are one of "the good guys".

I never run red lights, unless there is a malfunction. This happened to me recently when a normally operational signal did not change. After about 3 minutes or so and with no cross traffic, I proceeded and crossed the street.

There is a controlled intersection on the "short route" to work, which I have used (a bit too) frequently this year. There are separate lights for left-turn lanes, which I manage to set off about 3x/year. When I don't set off the turn light, I wait for the regular green, and turn after oncoming traffic has passed.

Probably about 8x/week....